Skip to Content

Work Table

A work made of rosewood, ivory, gilt bronze, brass, and pewter.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

Image actions

  • A work made of rosewood, ivory, gilt bronze, brass, and pewter.

Date:

c. 1880

Artist:

France, Paris
Maison Alphonse Giroux, Paris, under the direction of Veuve Duvinage (French, active 1874–1882)

About this artwork

The innovative marquetry technique displayed on this work table, was patented in 1877 by Rosalie Duvinage, also called Veuve (Widow) Duvinage. She was the owner of Maison Giroux, a Paris firm that had produced a wide assortment of luxury goods for generations. In this mosaic technique, pieces of ivory were held fast within a matrix of engraved metal strips and different woods were inlaid to create complex patterns. Here the ivory ground is separated by a network of engraved brass and pewter that forms the branches and leaves of a flowering peony bush, within which rests a large pheasant. Different wood inlays reveal the contour and shading of both plant and bird.

The decoration of this table was inspired by the flood of imports coming from Asia, especially from China and Japan, to Europe in the second half of the 19th century. Images of flowers and animals that were originally Chinese were adapted by Japanese craftsmen for furniture and finally translated onto objects in Europe. The artists of Maison Giroux appear to have had a firm grasp on the symbolic language of Asia: according to custom, tree peonies represent the male principle yang, and the golden pheasant (a traditional symbol of feminine beauty) symbolizes yin, its natural complement.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Applied Arts of Europe

Artist

Maison Alphonse Giroux (Manufacturer)

Title

Work Table

Place

France (Object made in)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1875–1885

Medium

Rosewood, ivory, gilt bronze, brass, and pewter

Dimensions

72.4 × 68.6 × 40.7 cm (28 1/2 × 27 × 16 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of the Antiquarian Society

Reference Number

1996.77

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/144991/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

Share

Sign up for our enewsletter to receive updates.

Learn more

Image actions

Share